At least 400 French high schools were closed on Friday as students protested crowded classes, teacher shortages and school conditions. The education ministry reported disruption at 560 schools, while ministers described injuries, property damage and around 2,000 detentions during the movement. Education Minister Édouard Geffray planned talks with education unions and student organisations as students and Amnesty International raised concerns about police conduct.
Hundreds of French high schools remained closed on Friday, 2 October, as student protests continued across the country. The education ministry said at least 400 of France’s 3,700 high schools were shut and that 560 institutions reported protests or disruption. The movement began in schools around Paris before spreading to other cities. Students’ demands concerned the conditions in which they study.[1], [2]
Demonstrators protested crowded classes, insufficient teachers and poor school conditions. A pupil in Pantin, near Paris, described a class with 35 students, too few chairs and difficulty obtaining food during the lunch break. Students blocked some school entrances. Fires and confrontations with police were reported in several places, including fire damage at the entrances of two schools in Paris.[1]
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said around 2,000 people had been detained during the movement, most of them children. Education Minister Édouard Geffray reported at least 170 injured students and 65 injured school employees, including 40 principals. He also said more than 100 high schools had suffered severe damage.[1]
Students alleged police violence, and Amnesty International expressed concern about images of officers assaulting students. Édouard Geffray urged parents not to send their children to demonstrations. He planned meetings on Friday with education unions and student organisations to seek dialogue over the protest movement.[1]
The government accused France Unbowed, a left-wing political party, of commandeering the movement; party official Manuel Bompard denied the allegation. Student demonstrations coincided with a public-sector strike against the government’s budget plans. The simultaneous protests added pressure on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of elections next year.[1]
Student groups also reported injuries during police interventions. According to the BBC, two teenagers had serious eye injuries and another had lost many teeth. These complaints accompanied demands for better school buildings and smaller classes. The government also reported that around 300 police officers and firefighters had been treated for injuries. University students were beginning to join the protests. Demands over school buildings included requests for an extra school nurse and insulation in dining facilities.[2]
